A Broken Heart
by writeaway03
Summary: Kel's life takes a new turn when her grandparents decide to step in. When Dom unknowingly hurts Kel, she decides to make a few changes in her life. Will she be able to mend her broken heart?
1. Dinner

A Broken Heart

Disclaimer: Characters and setting of Tortall belong to Tamora Pierce. No copyright infringement is intended.

Summary :

Kel life take's a new turn when her grandparents decide to step in. Then Dom discovers Kel's feelings for him, he rejects her without a second thought. A broken hearted Kel decides to make some changes in her life.

Chapter 1: Dinner

With the end of the Scanran War, many of Tortall's knights returned to the Corus for Midwinter festivities. The prince and the Yamani princess were set to be wed in the New Year and many celebrations took place as each night many held small parties to celebrate and reconnect.

Kel slowly made her way through the thick snow towards Roual's tents on the palace grounds where her friends had gathered for the night. The King's Own Commander and the companies traveling with him returned to the palace much later than expected and only after much insistence from the king. A smile crept on to Kel's face as she thought of the fond memories she had as a squire with the King's Own. A blush soon accompanied her smile as she thought of a certain blue- eyed sergeant that seemed to constantly occupy her thoughts recently.

Kel would probably be the last one to arrive. She joined her parents earlier for a family dinner before she made her way to meet her friends. Her expression suddenly changed when she thought of what had progressed earlier that evening. Her parents certainly surprised her by inviting her grandparents on her mother's side, but the biggest shock came to her when her grandparents brought along with them a young man they hoped Kel to marry.

Kel, not knowing their intentions at first immediately warmed up to the handsome stranger. Taller than Kel by a couple inches, William "Blake" Donehue was muscular with dark brown hair and blue green eyes that reminded Kel of Neal at times and Dom at others. Blake was the son of one of her father's best friends before Piers of Mindelan received his title from the king. As a merchant's son, Blake knew of all the trade embargos and policies that were being put into or being removed by Tortall and its neighboring countries with the end of the long war. He was also genuinely interested in her experiences in New Hope and kept their conversation flowing with a never-ending line of questions. Kel also found out that Blake was a close friend of Lady Alanna's mysterious husband, Baron George Cooper. Coop, as Blake called him, taught him 'everything improper a young man can't learn through lessons, but should know.' After further investigation into their lives and travels, Kel and Blake discovered, with a little help from the elders that they were acquaintances in their childhood days. Further probing revealed to Kel that Blake was none other than her 'Uncle Donny and Aunt Lee's' only son, Will. Donny and Lee were constant visitors at Mindelan before her parents left for the Islands. This brought on another round of remembering of how rowdy Blake used to be as a child and how he and Kel used to make turn the Mindelan household upside down whenever Blake's family visited the fief. Kel and Blake barely had any memory of their times together but were fascinated to hear of their antics as little children.

All was going well at the dinner. The conversation flowed freely even with Blake, a parctical stranger to Kel, present. Her grandmother was not too disappointed at Kel choice of dress, and Kel thanked the gods that Lalasa had convinced her to don dresses throughout the festivities of Midwinter. Her grandparents slowly turned the conversation towards their purpose for attending this dinner. Kel remembered how they began by explaining if the past were different, Kel and Blake would probably be inseparable to this day.

"If your father and mother had not insisted on taking you along with them to those Islands and change you into a barbarian, you would have grown into a fine lady and would have never been broken from your close friendship with William," her grandmother said with a disapproving looking towards Piers and Ilane of Mindelan.

Her grandfather's disapproving looks were of course focused mainly on Piers. With them he added, "Yes, if your father did not insist on not only taking my daughter, but also granddaughter away from me for six years, everything would have been much different." Blake, sensing a change in mood, tried to lighten the mood by commenting on the ridiculous use of color in the eating-house. Completely ignoring Blake's efforts, her Grandmother continued her barrage.

"Well at least there is a chance to straighten everything out now," she said sternly. "Yes, with Kel's marriage to Blake, the Donehues and the Mindelans will be reunited and the union that was originally meant to happen when Kel was sixteen will happen now with that horrid war out of the way."

Kel froze with her spoon half way to her mouth. What union? At least she wasn't the only one that was shocked. Blake, nearly choked on his wine when the proposition was made. He glanced her way and seeing that she was as shocked as he was, quickly gave a wink and immediately started spewing excuses while at the same time trying not to offend neither her parents nor her grandparents. When his efforts were much ignored he looked to Kel for help. Kel had to shake herself from shock and then made an equally gallant effort at dis-encouraging her grandparents from their proposition.

"I really don't want to marry, Grandmother. I am happy as I am and I have my shield to think about. Think about father's name," she pleaded. "Mindelan already gets so much wrath from conservatives for being a relatively new fief and for me choosing my knighthood. My marriage to a merchant's son that not even fully Tortallian will cause an outrage." She sent an apologizing look at Blake to assure him that she meant no offense. Blake nodded in acknowledgement and smiled for her to keep going.

"Like Blake said, we really can't marry each other after only meeting once and you can't decide this union on your own. Blake's family has to also agree and I am sure they wouldn't want me," she finished confidently and threw her parents a look to help her out. What her father said immediately made her regret her words.

"You are right Kel. You can't marry after only meeting each other once, so I suggest that while you and Will are both in Corus, to meet often and get to know each other better. You don't have to worry about Will's family, Donny and Lee and your mother and I have already discussed the unique situation and Will's grandparents are just as pleased because they initially made the proposition after they heard of your caring behavior toward the New Hope refugees."

"But--," both Kel and Blake started simultaneously.

"No buts at all," Kel's mother interrupted. "You will both meet at least twice a week and get to know each other better. We intend to announce you engagement by next spring and have an autumn wedding. Unless something extraordinary happens, we'll stick to these plans, so don't try to change out minds. Kel, Will, I know you think this is unfair, but at least give it a try and see where it leads. And Kel, please adress as Will or William. 'Blake' although a wonderful name is used only by those who know him through business, not through family. Lee will be horrified to hear to you adressing your future husband in the same way his fellowmen at the docks do. Now enough of this topic. Let's get on with dessert."

Dinner ended on a sour note despite the extremely sweet pastries that were served to Blake and Kel as dessert. After the elders left, Kel and Blake decided to play along with the plan until they could find a way to dissuade them from the preposterous proposition. Both agreed that they had to first recover from their shock before they could come up with a brilliant counter plan. With that they parted after exchanging contact information and agreeing to keep their relationship a secret to those outside the family.

With that she left dinner and made her way to find her friends. Although she enjoyed her new friendship with Blake, no Will, she didn't want to marry him.

As she drew closer to her destination, she could hear the chatter and excitement of her friends and decided to put the marriage topic from her mind. Among the many voices, she heard her best friends familiar drawl once again expressing strong views that will probably get him in trouble with his knight master. They seemed to be discussing the many women at court.

"Now Keladry, what do you gentlemen think of her?" another voice asked.

At the mention of her name, Kel stilled. Lady Alanna had asked that question. Kel's curiosity increased almost instantaneously.

Well that's Chapter 1. This is my first fanfic, so sorry about any typos, grammatical mistakes, plot errors, etc. Please Review and tell me how I did. Should I continue with the story or just stop? Review!


	2. Feelings Questioned

Chapter 2: Feelings Revealed

Thank you all who have reviewed!! Many of you have pointed out that Kel and her parents seemed a little out of character in the last chapter. I realized that after I had posted it; I haven't read the books in a while. I will try to put in an explanation for that in later chapters. I really wanted her to seem shocked at the absurd proposal. I will go back and edit when I get a chance, so please keep reviewing my work and pointing out any other discrepancies.

A Broken Heart

Chapter 2: Feelings Revealed

Roual always enjoyed spending time with his friends and sometimes even his subordinates, but what he hated most was the formalities of court. This was the reason he preferred to spend time away from Corus and the court. At least tonight was different. His party included a few of his closest friends and a few of his men and all formalities were thrown out the door as everyone became relaxed with time.

Buri, his wife had convinced him to serve alcohol tonight, saying that the end of the war was an occasion to celebrate fully. At the beginning it sounded like a good idea, but now, with everyone so loud and drunk, he was beginning to regret his decision. His regret became even stronger when the talk turned to ladies. He knew that one wrong word out of anyone's mouth and Alanna, Yuki and even his own Buri would lose their fragile tempers. He wished that his men weren't too drunk to let their tongues wag unnecessarily.

"Now, Lady Sarilyn, she is a beauty. It is bad news that she is to wed the other haMinch soon."

"So men look for women like Lady Sarilyn?" Buri asked almost skeptically.

"Well not really, not every man." Wolset replied. "Lady Sarilyn, she flirted with every man that came her way and made it obvious she was desperate for a husband. Men in the Own can't have that. We can't marry. We would prefer some one that was a beauty and flirty, but not looking for a husband."

"Really now," Buri answered catching Roual's eye seriously. Raoul cringed visibly and gulped in fear. He didn't like the direction that the discussion was taking and hoped that a no heated argument would break and ruin the already tensing mood.

"If a gal is pretty and sweet, a man really doesn't need anything else, especially the pressure of marriage," another one of Roual's men declared.

"Fine, you all seem have rather interesting opinions of the court ladies. Now Kelandry, what do you gentleman think of her?" Alanna asked.

"Lady Kel doesn't fall into the same group as the court ladies," Wolset slurred. "She is just different, too different to be compared to anyone, even you my lady."

"Thank the gods, she isn't anything like you, Alanna," Neal continued "If she had your temper in all that she has had to put up with, she would have definitely broken a few necks by now and that too with her bare hands."

"You should shut your mouth if you wish to keep _your_ neck intact, Nealan," Alanna answered with a glare.

"But sometimes, Kel is hard to handle as well, " Merric added his opinion cautiously. "She is perfect, too perfect sometimes and definitely too uptight. She has high expectations of everyone, especially herself."

"That's true," Neal supplied, completely ignoring his former knight master's pointed glare. "It would do her well if she lost her lump face and learned to loosen up more."

"Her expectations are quite suffocating sometimes."

"But, then again, if she was any other way, she wouldn't be our Kelandry," Roual defended.

"Yes this is all true, but we are talking about Kel as a lady, not a knight. She is a lady, you know." Buri interrupted.

At this statement Neal nearly chocked on his drink and haughtily stated, "Kel, a court lady… never! She doesn't compare to them at all. There are no similarities what so ever. I haven't seen her in a dress in years."

"No similarities at all?" Diane asked somewhat surprised, "Whether you see it or not, gentlemen, Kel is a lady of this court, differently surely, but still a lady."

Roual growled quietly as Wolset missed Diane's almost angry tone and continued the assault on Kel. "Lady Kel can never be a lady. She is one of us. She doesn't have the qualities of a lady, much less one of a court standing."

Yuki, intently listening in a beside her husband, questioned not only Wolset but all the men present, "And what exactly are those qualities?"

Neal quickly answered, "Looks!" and then shut his mouth immediately after receiving another glare, but this time from his wife.

To everyone's surprise, Dom, who had not participated in the conversation until now, continued on Neal's thoughts. Roual noticed that his answer was rather troubled and seemed as though Dom was trying to convince himself of what he was saying.

"She doesn't wear dresses unless she is absolutely forced to and even then only those dresses that are severely conservative."

Neal continued, once again not learning his lesson from the fuming ladies present, "She is too muscular and her height doesn't really help her either like yours does for you, Alanna."

"Nealan!" Yuki and Alanna snapped at the same time finally getting him to shut his mouth.

"She also doesn't act or portray herself as a court lady," Wolset supplied.

Merric continued with a slur complements of his drink, "Tru.. We can talk to Kel about anything, but she neeever openss up to usss."

Wolset added, "A man needs to feel as though he is needed by the lady – almost like a damsel in distress complex. But Lady Kel would never be a damsel in distress."

Dom contributed to the conversation one more time, this time seeming only a little more confident than the last, Roual noted. "She can't dance, flirt, entertain, dress, or speak like the court ladies. True she is very intelligent, but sometimes men look to women for relief from their work and with Kel, work are duty are always most important, too important. She doesn't know anything else."

To this, Alanna questioned, "So none of you would ever be interested in Kel as anything more than a friend?"

"No, not really," a chorus of voices replied. Roual was the only one sober enough to notice that a particular Sergeant of his did not reply to this question and seemed too caught up in his own thoughts.

"Even you, Dom?" Yuki asked suddenly very curious. All eyes present turned toward Dom.

"Huh? Why do you ask that, Yuki?" Dom asked clearly uncomfortable.

"Well, the endless banter between you and Kel seems a lot like flirting to me. Also, if haven't noticed, Kel treats you differently than her other friends. She feels more comfortable with you and you are the only one that I know that can make Kel blush even if it only merely for a moment. "

Dom seemed caught. Taking a big swig of his drink he answered with an almost shaking voice. "Nope, never! I don't feel anything other than friendship toward Kel. I want to break through her walls and so I tease her, but that is my only intention. She really isn't my type. She is too muscular, much too uptight, and nothing at all like a court lady. She is a comrade, nothing else. I don't see her as a woman. I don't see her in that way. "

"If you say so," Yuki replied, clearly unconvinced.

"Yes, yes, I do," Dom replied, "Don't think too much of it Yuki."

Buri, sensing the tension, quickly changed the subject towards another one of Nealan's outspoken opinions. Roual was now sure that something was very wrong with Dom. The entire evening, Dom seemed distant and uncomfortable. Roual could only blame Dom's behavior on his drink, but knew there was more to his uneasiness.

Unknown to everyone present, a silent figure had listened to the conversation that took place just outside. Neither did anyone notice that same figure quietly and quickly slip away into the night.

Well, that's Ch 2. Sorry for not posting earlier, I was on vacation with my family. I promise Ch 3 won't take this long. This chapter was really hard to write because Kel really has no faults. (Let me know if you find any— I intend to go back and edit all of my mistakes at one point). Thanks all! Please review!


	3. Blake's Story

_I realize I haven't updated in a long, long time. I apologize. Life just came in the way. I hope you enjoy the next chapter!_

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Chapter 3: Blake's Story

William "Blake" Donehue had just gotten one of the biggest shocks of his life. Marriage?! Marriage!? He sighed at the thought. This must be another of his great-aunt's schemes. He was actually enjoying dinner with the members of the Mindelan clan until the proposal was dropped.

It really wasn't that Blake had no real plans for marriage, it was just that he wasn't ready yet. He wasn't going to be anytime soon.

After recently having a falling out with his father concerning his sister's marriage, Blake wanted to prove to his father that he really could be taken seriously. He wanted to prove that he could live without his father's influence or his family name.

"_I absolutely disagree. I will not allow this union. Once you step out of this house, Leanna, consider yourself disowned." _

Those were the words from his father that had changed everything. Blake jumped to his sister's rescue only to take the blunt of his father's anger himself.

"_If you wish to support your sister in her ridiculous mistake, William, you are welcome to leave this family too. See how you will survive in the real world without any power behind your name. See if you can maintain your expensive habits without a penny to your name. This is your entire fault, William. If you had just escorted your sister from your grandmother's house to your uncle's residence, like you were asked to, she would have never met that fool she fancies herself in love with...."_

Blake had thought the exact same thing about his future brother-in-law when he had first met him, but Edward soon gained his respect when Blake found out just how much he loved his sister.

This did not at all please his father. The argument only became worse and worse after that. Unfortunately, it resulted in having Blake's mother in tears and both Blake and his sister leaving home. Leanna, Blake's elder sister and close confident, went on the marry the man she loved and Blake has yet to return home after almost a year. His pride and his father's just would not allow that. Blake hoped to make a name for himself at sea, as a captain and as a merchant. He wanted to distance himself from his father, but at the same time make him proud of his only son. So far Blake had no such luck. Everything he had invested either turned out to be a loss or brought back too little profit to really matter.

Thinking of his sorry situation, Blake let out another heavy sigh before continuing his wondering.

Making his way along the city's park, Blake thought about the dinner with the Mindelan clan. They seemed like very amicable people. The fact that his father and mother were close to them proved that they were easy to get along with.

Lady Kelandry was interesting. She didn't seem to the person described by the songs and ballads many barbs sang these days. They depicted her as a hero, someone untouchable. He had always thought of her as a warrior princess, never faltering, always strong, and never having the time to care for anything but her goals, her people.

What surprised him immediately was her attire. He had heard that the Protector of the Small never went anywhere without her sword or glive, so that she was always ready for battle. It had caught him off guard to find out that the reasonably attractive lady in the flattering gown was actually one of the country's most celebrated heroes. No one would guess she was such a person from her appearance. She seemed like any other noble lady. She seemed to have no arrogance or hubris given her respected status.

Blake also noted that she held back many of her emotions, only letting some show on her face—mostly her vibrant eyes. Hazel sometimes, and at times green. He attributed this to her association with the Yamani's. Her mother and father were the same, sometimes even more guarded than Kelandry with their emotions.

When the Lady Knight first arrived, she seemed tense. At first Blake thought his presence was making her uncomfortable, but later realized it had more to do with her strict grandmother. Keladry was constantly fiddling with her dress and throwing wry glances at her grandmother as if waiting for her to comment. With this initial behavior, Blake's thoughts went to the extreme opposite, making him doubt the praises and songs completely. She seemed like every other girl. She was quiet, dressed to please and was waiting for some approval. He had thought he would have to spend the evening talking about poetry or something of that sort.

Contrary to his beliefs, she seemed very open to the discussions they shared while dining, but at the same time she maintained her reserved manner. She seemed genuinely interested in his business. She asked intelligent questions regarding trade and offered her input along with her father's suggestions as to how Blake could use his time and money efficiently. When Blake questioned her about herself, Kelandry turned back to her timidness and denied the praises he had heard, telling him she really hated being called the Protector. Even still, he didn't miss the brightness in her eyes when she spoke about the refugees she had come to know. She seemed so proud of them.

Blake chuckled thinking back to her expression when her grandparents presented their ridiculous proposition. It was the first time that evening all of her emotions --- at that time shock, disbelief, and embarrasment--- played on her face. It was also the first time that evening that she blushed completely and even stuttered. Before, dispite that amusing and embarrassing stories her family shared, she only smiled and seemed to control the color flushing her cheeks.

After her moment of weakness, she immediately recovered and argued with her stubborn grandparents, logically laying out the faults of their plan. She even directly sent him a pleading look. She lost her composure once again when her parents voiced their support for the union. Twice in one evening! Blake guessed that was a first for her.

Continuing on his path, Blake found himself at the steps of one of Corus's many grand temples. Maybe the gods will listen to my sorrows in the dead of the night, he thought and proceeded.

To his surprise, he wasn't the only one in the temple's altar room. Another figure appeared deep in meditation at the base of the altar. As he moved closer, he realized is was a woman and was even more surprised to find that the dress the figure wore looked oddly familiar. Stepping closer, Blake's eyes widened with recognition and he let out a small gasp.

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Please Review!


	4. Deep Thoughts and Bitter Tears

Thank you everyone for your reviews! They made my day!

I really don't have a set plan for this story yet expect for the next couple of chapters. I am writing as I go along, so I will most likely go back to edit. I haven't decided who Kel will end up with yet. Blake, Dom, another character? I'll have to see how it works out.

Here is chapter 4.

Disclaimer: Characters and setting of Tortall belong to Tamora Pierce. No copyright infringement is intended

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Chapter 4: Deep Thoughts and Bitter Tears

On a cold night, a figure slowly, but steadily made her way through the palace, seeming sure of where she wanted to go. If anyone saw her from afar, they would think she was hurrying to a waiting family or friends. But, at the same time, if anyone followed her closely with their eyes, they would she a figure truly shaken and very tired, taking only weary steps to her undecided location. Only her thoughts reveal her true distress.

_No_, she thought. _I guess I really am not that amicable._After hearing what her friends really thought of her, especially what Dom thought of her, Keladry of Mindelan slipped away before she making her presence known to her friends.

Quietly slipping past the other late wanderers, she first made her way toward her rooms, hoping to find solace in familiar surroundings. As she dodged past an apprentice of the palace healers precariously carrying some potions, she decided against her original plan. The healer reminded of her of her best friend. Her rooms were the first place Neal would look when he realized she was missing. She just wasn't ready to face him or his cousin, or any of her friends for that matter.

Quickly, she turned around making her way to the stables, hoping a ride with Peachblossom would help to calm her troubled and hurting heart and clear her muddled thoughts. As she moved closer to her destination, she saw the loopholes in her plan. No matter how she controlled her emotions on her face, her mood would immediately be apparent to her gentle beast and he would later communicate her troubles to Tobe. Tobe would then worry about her endlessly and eventually bring her problems to the attention of Neal or even worse Dom.

These were problems she wanted no one to know about. Her insecurities, her weaknesses, her feelings… her entire life. If anyone found out how girly she was acting now, she would never hear the end of it. Her friends would tease her and others, like Neal and Tobe would worry about her and watch her closely to no end.

With a sigh, Kel decided that her sanctuary would have to lie somewhere outside the palace walls where fewer people knew her. As she wandered into the city, she found herself at the gates of a temple. _This is the perfect place to clear my mind and compose myself,_ she thought and proceeded up the marble steps and to the altar that waited behind the giant doors.

With a deep sigh, Kel fell to her knees at the altar. She rose slightly to place some incense sticks and offer a quick prayer to the gods. As she knelt back down, Kel was surprised to find her cheeks wet with tears. What she had heard at Roual's gathering distressed her greatly and she didn't know why.

She knew that she was no court lady and that her friends considered her a comrade, but to hear them, to hear him state it so bluntly hurt Kel more than she imagined it would.

_The lump, _Kel thought bitterly. _That is what I am. That is what I had to be. In order to prove to them that I was different, to prove to myself, I had to hide my emotions, my pain, I had become one of them_. _I distanced myself from my friends; I distanced myself from any hope of feminity that existed in me. Perfection, of course I needed perfection. If I gave anything else, I was deemed unfit to become a knight._

If only they knew how many times she had wanted to give up. If only they knew how many bruises and emotions she had to hide in order to remain strong. In her page years, she had to do all this just to remain there with them. They thought she was shallow, heartless. She didn't know how to open up.

Would they have taken her seriously if they knew how she felt when she was a page? Would they have understood if they knew her hurt and anger with the treatment given to her by Wyldon? Would they have listened to her if they knew of her silly crush on Neal? Would they have understood if they knew her guilt for Joren's death or if they knew of her not so great opinion of the King? Would they realize how the cruel comments regarding her figure and honor made by conservatives, the court, and even her sister-in-laws upset her? Would they comprehend her apprehension when she was given command of Haven?

No, never! She was never allowed to falter; she was never allowed to break down. If anything less than perfect came from her, she wasn't good enough. She had the responsibility to prove not only herself, but that girls were just as responsible and reliable as boys. She had to show a stern face to her critics and move on with what she had set out to do. She couldn't and wouldn't let her pain, hurt, guilt, anger…her feelings to come in her way. She had to be perfect. There was no other way.

It hurt Kel even more to think about Dom. He had rejected her, even worse, he also believed she was nothing behind her lump mask. _I have nothing to blame him for, _Kel thought sadly._ I should have known he would never abhor any feelings for the likes of me. I truly am not his type. I am nothing like the court ladies that seem to hold his interest. Like he said, I guess I can't provide him with comfort of relief from work. But then again, without our duty and the Own to link us, we really have nothing in common. I should not have allowed my feelings for him to grow. I should not have, _she sobbed_. _

Well, at least she knew what Dom thought of her now, what all of her friends thought. She wouldn't make a fool of herself in front of Dom or anyone else anymore. She should count herself lucky, right? More tears fell as she reached this conclusion and silent sobs escaped.

_I can't be seen like this. This breakdown is not supposed to happen. I need to be a commander of Tortall. I need to be strong. I need to be the lump. I need to be everything my friends don't like in me. I need to be Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan, Protector of the Small. _

It seemed that all Kel was left with only her bitter tears and sad thoughts for the night.

That is until another wanderer entered the temple and found her in a miserable state.

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Well, that's Ch 4. I'm not exactly satisfied with this chapter. I don't think I did a good job expressing all of Kel's pain and her situation. I am also not satisfied with the way I transitioned between first person point of view and 3rd person pov.

Well, I'll go back and edit once I have more ideas.

Let me know what you think. Please Review!


	5. Unwanted Company

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting of Tortall belong to the amazing Tamora Pierce. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thank you all who have reviewed!

Thank you fallfromreality, IHATEFLUFF, Princess-of-everything, confuzzled lil pheonix, IkarusCazadores, abyssgirl, Shangleapord, quickreader93, jayley, LadyDandelion, DomLuver, stariinights, triss22, Kari of Mindelan, Arianna Cullen and Stargirl844 for your encouraging words!

Special thanks to LadyDandelion for her awesome suggestions. I tried to add more details to this chapter. I will get to working on chapter 4.

Sorry this chapter took so long. I made it much longer this time. As I have said before, I am just winging it. Hopefully, it doesn't disappoint you.

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**Chapter 5: Unwanted Company**

"Lady Keladry, is that you?" Blake called out unsurely. What was she doing here? The figure was hunched over at the altar and was sobbing. This definitely could not be the same composed person he had encountered earlier that night. But the dress that caught his eye earlier, he would know it anywhere.

Slowly, the figure turned, seemingly startled herself. Blake was distressed by what he found. A similar scene from his past repeated in his mind. A scene he had tried to forget. He had found his younger sister in a similar state once after a horrible incident. He never wanted to see a woman like that again, all alone and broken.

The situations were so similar, yet they were so different. This was the Protector of the Small herself, only she was nothing like her. He could see that she was not physically hurt, but her face showed her distress clearly. Her eyes were red and her cheeks tear-stained. He could barely recognize her. Even her dress looked rumpled, like she had been running carelessly. This girl didn't look at all like the smiling and confident Protector of the Small he had met just hours earlier. Her eyes, vibrant earlier this evening, seemed dead and carried much dread. He had no idea what to make of her.

"You, what-" she started clearly confused, but then immediately took notice of her surroundings and her company. Quickly composing herself, she wiped away her tears with the back of her sleeve. _What was he doing here? I picked the temple so I can avoid everyone and let out my sorrows._

"What a surprise, William! What are you doing here?" She asked almost accusingly.

Stunned to find the Lady Knight here and in this condition, Blake replied only with silence still trying to make sense of her rumpled presence.

"William? Blake? Will!?"

"Huh? Oh," he recovered quickly, "I could ask the same for you, Lady Knight. What is it that you are doing here at this time?" Inwardly he smiled to himself observing how quickly she put her wall back up. Her training with the Yamani's really paid off, he thought to himself. _Now there's the Lady Warrior I have heard about, unfazed by anything._

Whatever was bothering her, she didn't want him to know. Unfortunately for her, he wasn't going to let it go at that. She was a close family friend, even if he only reunited with her today. From the stories her parents and grandparents told today, they were close as young children. Also, his parents and apparently his great-aunt thought well of her. This meant that she was practically part of the family. If one of his friends found either of his sisters in this state, he would definitely appreciate their efforts to make sure everything was alright. He would feel horrible later on if he found out there was something he could have done to help, but just went along with her and ignored an obvious problem.

"I was just leaving," she replied slowly, rising slowly from her position before the altar reaching for the offering table before her to support herself.

Keladry hoped she could maintain her stone mask until she got away from this some-what stranger. He would be in constant contact with her parents in the coming weeks as he settled himself. They did not need another reason to worry about her. She released her wooden support and allowed her weight onto her stiff knees, wobbling slightly. Avoiding eye contact with her only company, she moved to step past him to her escape. Unfortunately, she miscalculated the strength of her stiff legs and toppled forward towards the floor.

Blake noted that she held onto the table before her to support herself.

_She must have been here for a while, for her legs to be that stiff. _

The minute she let go and stepped forward, she tumbled. Blake instinctively reached out to help her and caught her just as she was about to hit the floor.

_This is worse than I thought. _To him, she seemed very weak and pale. _If she doesn't want to talk that's fine, but I have to make sure she is safe. I wouldn't ever be able to face her family otherwise._

"Thank you," Kel mumbled and straightened. How could I, she scolded herself softly.

_Twice, three times in one day, he has seen me at my worst. First that ridiculous dinner and now this. Even Neal has never seen me in such a dreaded state. Hopefully he will let it go and not mention it again. From the look on his face, I highly doubt it. I can't ever face him again._ "My legs are stiffer than I thought. I will take my leave now."

With what Kel swore was a smirk, Blake blocked her way and spoke again, "Well then, allow me to escort you to your destination."

Blake tried to keep a straight face when he spoke to her. He found her insistence to deny her condition very amusing_. I bet she is horrified to have me find her here. I can't leave her alone though until I know she is safe. It doesn't matter that she is the lady knight, any woman should not roam the city during the time of night. I will just have to push my luck and see how she will react. Maybe the amusement for the night is not over yet._

Blake's thoughts were interrupted when Kel spoke again.

"Escort me? There's no need, Sir. I can take care of myself." Kel looked at him and added with a soft smile, "I am the Lady Knight after all." _I hope he'll see that I am fine. I even smiled. Please just leave me alone._

"No."

Kel was expecting him to agree or offer an explanation. She wasn't ready for his blunt and direct answer. When she sent a glare his way, he once again grinned and continued.

"No, Keladry."

Suddenly, Blake's grin faded as he added with all seriousness, "You are obviously upset about something and want to be alone, but I can't leave you alone now that I know your condition. If something were to happen to you, I would have to live with the guilt. I will escort you back."

_I can't believe she is still insisting that she is fine. I know I am being forceful, but this is the only way she will listen. I wonder what upset her so much. _

"But-"

"You are staying at the palace aren't you? Otherwise your parents' residence? Yes, I think your parents' residence would be best. Let's go."

Kel looked down dejected. She couldn't believe his nerve. She sent him another glare, hoping her expression would get him to back down a bit. Kel was surprised when Blake narrowed his eyes and sent her a glare that matched hes own. After a few moments of the starring contest, Kel knew she was nowhere near winning.

_He is not going to leave me alone. My parents would definitely ask too many questions. What do I do?_

With a final resolve, Kel spun around again toward the altar and said. "Fine, I will stay here then. I will hold vigil and leave at dawn." _Please take the hint and leave. I don't know if I can handle your resistance right now._ With that, she haughtily returned to her original position. _Please leave._

Blake was surprised at her sudden decision. _I guess she just won't give up. Well I won't either! _He sighed and turned towards the door.

Kel sighed herself when she heard the dejected sigh followed by footsteps leading away from her. _Finally, some peace._

Her relief was short lived though. When she didn't hear the rather squeaky sound of the temple door, she turned around.

Blake knew that she thought that he had given up. He walked slowly towards the temple door, but changed his path so that he stopped at the wall just to the left of the door. He turned around and sat down, making himself comfortable by leaning against the hard wall. _This was going to be a long night. _

Kel couldn't believe her eyes. _He just can't give up, can he?_ When his eyes met hers, he smirked once again. Kel narrowed her eyes at him and whipped her head around to face the front. _Let's see how long he will stay. I plan on being here all night. Why can't he just forget what he saw and just leave? _

An hour or so passed with the two wanderers in their positions. Kel checked to see if there were any changes with Blake, but only found his gaze on her. She sat at her spot near the altar for a few more minutes. _I guess he won't give up. This can't go on all night!_

Blake knew he was getting under her skin. She turned around a few times to check on him. _No, I am not asleep or bored, Lady Knight. I have nothing to do. Even if this takes all night, I will be here. _

Kel finally gave up and slowly rose from her spot. She made her way very slowly towards him.

Blake was surprised when she plopped down beside him, obviously not caring for her dress. "I am guessing you are not going to leave me be, are you, Mr. Donehue. Even if I say that everything is alright and you needn't worry."

"No," Blake replied with a coy grin. "I am not." _I can't. I made that mistake with my sister. I won't make it again._

Kel sighed and continued. "What will convince you otherwise? I just wish to be alone."

"You can allow me escort you home. Of course, you can also tell me what is wrong. I know that I am just a stranger, but sometimes it is better to confide in a stranger. I won't betray you. You are obviously very important to my family. Wait, is it about tonight? What your grandparents and parents said at dinner? Me? If it is , you needn't worry. I am sure we will find a solution. I will think of some way."

Kel smiled sadly at him and said.

_He is genuinely worried. Maybe his arrogance is just temporary. _"Sorry to disappoint you, but it is not about you. We really need to talk about that though. I am really sorry that my grandparents pulled such a stunt. You seemed just as shocked as I was. I don't know what my parents are thinking either. They have always allowed me to make my own decisions and this is very unusual."

Kel hoped that by discussing the dinner earlier, she could distract him and herself from her earlier state of distress.

Blake chuckled as he remembered the dinner.

_She must really want to ignore the fact that just a few minutes ago she was sobbing. She did do a good job changing the topic though. Guess I will play along with her for a while._

"I don't think it was entirely your grandparents' idea. I feel that my great- aunt had something to do with the proposal. She is forever on my case about getting married and settling down. You see, she doesn't have any children of her own. So, she treats my father like her own son and me as her only grandson by default. I was a little surprised by your father though. I have met him on several occasions before this fateful night, but never has he mentioned this idea before."

Kel nodded her head in agreement. "You are not the only one surprised by my father. My parents have always encouraged me to pursue my dreams. Their sudden acceptance and insistence of the idea caught me completely off guard. I intend to address this issue with them as soon as I get a chance. No, I think I will go first thing in the morning. You should join me. Hopefully we can demand some answers and dissuade them."

Blake grinned and nodded his head in agreement. "Sounds good to me." Their brief conversation was followed by a comfortable silence. Blake turned his head slightly and looked at the lady beside him. She seemed exhausted. Her eyes were still red and her face pale. He took in her appearance and decided to break the silence.

"So, now will you tell me why you are here tonight?"

Kel turned to look at him and smiled. "I thought I was doing a good job of deflecting that topic."

"You were and are, but I am not going to fall for it."

"You seem so sure of yourself," Kel replied teasingly as she turned away to face the front of the temple.

Blake did not return her sentiment. With a stern face, he repeated his question. "Keladry, why are you here tonight? What happened? Who hurt you?"

Kel turned to look at him and open her mouth to speak, "I......

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Well there's chapter 5. Please forgive any grammatical errors. (Point them out so I can maybe correct my mistakes next time).

Please let me know what you think!


	6. Midnight Conversations

A/N: I know I haven't updated in forever. I am really sorry! Life and everything else just got in the way.

Thankyou everyone for your reviews.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. I hope the recap is sufficient!

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Chapter 5 Recap:

With a stern face, he repeated his question. "Keladry, why are you here tonight? What happened? Who hurt you?"

**Chapter 6: Midnight Conversations**

"I …" she began, but then cut herself off, returning to her previous silence.

Blake saw that he was getting nowhere with her and repeated the question, only this time with a harsher tone.

Kel turned her face slightly toward him surprised by his uncompromising tone. When she saw that the expression on his face matched his tone, she looked up to meet his unyielding eyes. She sighed before continuing, "I just needed to clear my head, that is all."

Blake wanted to let it go, but couldn't. He knew that she wanted to be alone, but seeing her so hurt and perplexed left him at a loss as to what to do. He knew that their relationship as even acquaintances was almost non-existent, but he felt as though he knew her from the stories he had heard and from the details that her father so proudly slipped to him whenever they met. Even the faint memories of his childhood with Kel were no help in cluing him in what to do in this situation. He remembered her vaguely, but couldn't remember any specific details. He wished now more than ever that his sister, Leanna was here. She was always the best at comforting any who were hurt. She would have definitely known what to do.

After a brief and heavy silence, Blake simply replied with a "Hmm" acknowledging that he had heard Kel. Kel was thankful he didn't pursue it further. She leaned her head back against the wall with a light thud and once again let thoughts of the night's events take over.

Blake looked over at Kel again when he heard her thud her head against the wall beside him. She closed her eyes and seemed to be in deep thought. He wanted to know what was going on in her head. Her cheeks were still splotchy and tear-streaked, but some color was returning to her face now. She moved to warp her hands around her legs and pulled her knees to her chest. She then leaned her neck forward so that she could lightly place her forehead on her knees. With this done she let out another sigh. Blake unknowingly smiled as he looked on. She didn't at all seem like the same confident and unbreakable Lady Knight he had had dinner with earlier in the evening. She seemed so vulnerable and in need of comfort.

If only Blake knew how to comfort her, he would. Also closing his eyes and letting his head fall back, Blake let his thoughts flow to his two sisters trying to remember a time when they both had the same forlorn look that Kel now possessed. After some searching, Blake suddenly remembered a time when his younger sister, Bethany, 14 at that time, stomped home and cried for hours because of some fool that told her she wasn't pretty enough to marry a man like him. Blake looked over and Kel and decided to try his luck.

He took in a deep breath and began slowly. "I understand that you find me a nuisance. I know that you don't want me here and absolutely understand that you don't want to talk to me about your problems. Mithros, we barely know each other."

He paused, glancing at her to gauge her reaction. He wasn't surprised to find that her face was still as usual.

He began again with his voice barely over a whisper. "Sometimes, it is better to talk to a stranger than anyone else. I am willing to listen."

He waited for a response and when he finally decided to give up, she finally spoke up.

"Why?"

"Huh?" Blake certainly wasn't expecting that kind of response. He was prepared for her to lash out at him and he was prepared for her to ignore him further, but he certainly wasn't prepared to hear her question his motive.

"Why? Why do you care?" Although she spoke to him, she didn't turn to meet his eyes or even glance his way.

"You are a stranger. We barely know each other. So, why do you care?"

Blake tried to come up with a witty answer to ease the mood, but his mind drew up a blank. Why did he care for her? Was it because of her family? Was it because of his family? Was it because he admired her, or because he felt a connection with her? Maybe it was because she reminded him of himself. He didn't know the exact reason. So, he told her the truth as to why he could not leave her alone tonight. He told her the reason for his guilt and his insistence.

"I don't know why I care. You, although are not my friend, you are apparently important to me. My family thinks we should marry. That makes you someone in my life. I can't just leave you here to suffer alone just because that is what you wish of me. I did that once to someone I love and care about and to this day, I still regret it. So, no matter what you say and no matter how many times you change the topic, I can't leave you alone until you are fine or in the hands of someone who can take of you. Neither of those things will happen today, so I can't leave you here today."

Kel turned to look at him now. His voice seemed suddenly restrained. He seemed to be holding something back. After he finished speaking to her, he shut his eyes tightly, as if to keep out some horrible images that were haunting him. She could practically see the regret and shame in his voice when he talked about his friend. This made her curious, but she knew that she would be overstepping her bounds by pursuing it further.

For the first time that night, Kel really looked at the man that she was properly introduced to for the first time. She had heard of him through family and remembered him vaguely in the few childhood memories she retained of her time in Tortall before she left for the Islands with her parents. She saw that he looked exhausted. There were only traces of the smiling and easy going man she had met with her parents today. His hands were rough and looked as though they have been through a lot. She noticed the long gash on his forearm and the small, but faint scar on his temple. He looked weary and jaded.

"It wasn't your fault." She said in a whisper, surprising even herself. Kel then fully turned to him and continued softly.

"It can't be your fault, what happened to that person. You were just doing what you thought was right. You followed that person's wishes. Don't blame yourself for that."

Blake just gave her a bitter smile and asked, "How can you so sure? You don't know anything about the situation, but just that someone was hurt. Someone was hurt because of me."

Kel looked at him an instant and then replied. "You are right. I don't know about the situation. But from what little I know about you and the fact that you stayed here stubbornly despite my insistence that you leave, I know you wouldn't hurt someone on purpose. I doubt you would do anything to hurt someone you care about."

Blake just chuckled at this and said, "You changed the subject again. You do realize that don't you?"

Kel lifted an eyebrow at his question and replied cheekily. "Which one of us is changing the subject now? Me or you?"

Blake just shook his head and sighed. He quickly turned his face away from her, so that Kel wouldn't see the shame and guilt that plagued his heart.

Kel realized that he didn't want to continue the conversation and returned to her previous position, reflecting on herself. She wished there was something that she could do to erase Will's obvious pain.

They stayed this way for sometime; both deep in thought.

After a few very pregnant, but comfortable silent minutes, Blake remembered his original intention about the situation at hand.

He nudged Kel slightly with his foot and tuned toward her.

"So, what is his name?" Blake asked a matter-of-factly.

Kel heard Blake's question and jerked her head up. Her mind swirled with confusion. Did her face really show all of her feelings? Was her mask weakening so much that he could point out her problems so precisely?

Kel decided to play innocent and calmly questioned in reply, "Whatever are you talking about?"

Blake was glad he was facing her when he asked his question. If not, he would have missed her startled reaction. She was thrown off for a minute, but once again quickly recovered her mask and retorted to his question. Blake knew from her reaction that he had hit his mark.

He chuckled and continued, "Oh come on Kel, I have two sisters and unless it is matter of the heart, they rarely ever wear the look that your face has been holding at night."

Kel instinctively brought her hands up to cup her face. When she heard Blake's chuckle, she glanced up to catch his teasing eyes and narrowed her eyes to glare at him. She then brought her hands down and ignored him.

After a few seconds, Blake repeated his earlier question. "So, I guess I am right. What is his name?"

Kel didn't respond and firmly put her mask into place. Blake sighed and gave up. At least he now knew what was bothering her.

Both wonderers continued with their silence once again. It was Kel that broke their vigil this time. She took in a deep breath and let out an even deeper sigh. She slowly turned to Blake to find that he too had shut his eyes. She slowly licked her chapped lips and asked tentatively, "Do you find me cold and unappreciative?"

Kel couldn't believe she had said it out loud. What was she thinking? Maybe too much crying that it was beginning to mess with her head. Kel hoped he didn't hear her slip up.

Blake heard her deep breath and felt her turn toward him. He knew she was going to say something and that he should be preparing to respond so that she doesn't place her walls up again. What he heard though, he wasn't prepared for.

"What?!" Blake asked, caught off guard by her question. "What are you talking about?"

"I am too serious and don't know how to loosen up." Kel responded, ignoring her minds commands to shut her mouth and run like the Gods cursed her. Since he had already heard, he wasn't going to leave it alone anyway. Maybe he will provide some insight on her confusing and pathetic life.

Blake looked at her like she was possessed. Unappreciative? Cold? Was she really asking him that? Here was the woman who is rumored to have given up everything she was to rescue some orphans from a hostile country and she was asking him if he thought she was cold and unappreciative. Clearly something is wrong with her. Maybe the night air is giving her a head cold.

Blake glanced at her again. In her eyes he saw hurt and disappointment. Her small mouth was held in a tight line. Blake knew she was serious.

"Is that what he said?" Blake asked her hoping to lighten her mood.

Kel immediately stiffened. She bit her cheek and turned to him before continuing. "I don't know what you are talking about. There is no him!"

"He is wrong, you know." Blake said before she could but up her walls again. "You are not cold and unappreciative. You don't expect too much. You just look for the good in people."

"How can you be so sure? Kel said bitterly throwing his own words back in his face.

Blake smiled sadly at her tone. "Just like you said you were sure about me. Because you said you can be sure about me. Even without truly knowing me, you respected me and trusted me. You are kind and obviously a good friend. Of course, from what I have heard about you, there is no way you cold, Oh, Protector of the Small!"

Kel glared at him for using that horrid name in her presence, but couldn't help but smile at his teasing tone.

Blake was happy to see a smile on her face, however small. And like this, two tired wanderers slowly dozed off.

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know I sort of switched from 1st person POV (ch 5) to 3rd person POV (this chapter). I am experimenting with different writing styles. I'll eventually pick one and continue on with it. I hope it wasn't too confusing. Please let me know what you think and how I can improve!


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